Parent Revolution applauds the Columbus School Board’s public announcement of 20 Parent Trigger eligible schools in the district. While other districts around the nation haven’t been forthright, or have outright attempted to avoid their responsibilities under Parent Trigger legislation, the Columbus School Board is communicating with parents and community members about their democratic right to organize to improve failing schools.

Parent Trigger in Columbus Schools will give parents the ability to organize and demand changes that will improve their children’s schools. Additionally, parents, by engaging in the school transformation process, can keep the district accountable to student needs over the long term.

“We applaud the efforts in Columbus, Ohio to give parents real power to transform their children’s low performing schools through organizing. We have discovered over the last four years that parent empowerment laws can make a real difference for students stuck in low-performing schools by finally giving a real voice to parents. We have also learned that implementing these laws and turning around schools is never easy or quick. Parents need to get organized and decide collectively what changes their children need, and the state needs to provide clear and workable rules of the road to help guide the process.

Just like in California, Connecticut, Tennessee, and every other state where parents have fought for change, we know there will be those in Ohio that are invested in keeping parent from having power instead of helping this law to work. We stand with parents everywhere who are trying to use this important law to transform their neighborhood schools and improve opportunities for their children."

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Parent Revolution transforms underperforming public schools by empowering parents to advocate for what is good for children, not adults, through grassroots community organizing.